Grain and seed separator and grader



(N0 ModeL) W. TATE.

GRAIN AND SEED SEPARATOR AND GRADER. No. 319,528. Patented June 9, 1885.

FIGJ.

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. Thurman STATES PATIENT (Omicron.

WILLIAM TATE, or WINSTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

GRAIN AND SEED SEPARATOR AND GRADER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 319,528, dated June 9, 1885.

Application filed March 5, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Winston, in thecounty of Forsyth and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain and Seed Separators and Graders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a grain and seed separator and grader which will be of few parts, simple in construction, and easy of operation; and it consists in the mechanism and combinations of mechanism hereinafter described and claimed.

I11 the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine; Fig. 2, a plan view, and Fig. 3 a vertical section on the line :0 so of Fig. 2.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throu ghout the several views.

A A represent the frame, between the two sides of which the fan-casing B, which incloses the fan (3, is supported. The fan-shaft S is supported in suitable bearings on the side walls of the fancasing, and projects beyond said walls on both sides, each projecting end being provided with a crank, cl, of slight throw. Upon one of the projecting ends of shaft S is fixed a small pulley, E, which is connected by a belt, 0, to a large pulley, F, mounted in suit able hearings on the side of the frame A, and provided with a winch, g. This pulley is the main driver of the machine. Between the rearwardly-extended walls Z Z) of the frame A is mounted a shoe, H, which is composed of two'side walls, h h, which are connected by cross-bars v; t. This shoe is arranged immediately beneath the hopper X, and extends close to the blast-opening in the fan-casing at its inner end, and rearwardly some distance beyond the rcarwall of the hopper. The shoe H is suspended by two spring-arms j, the lower ends of which are attached to the side walls of the shoe at about their centers, and their upper ends to the inner surfaces of the frame A, and there held in proper position. The inner surfaces of the walls h h are provided with grooves K, into which short longi tudinal grooves Z Z Z Z" enter. The frames of the screensL L of this shoe are provided with short pins, which fit the grooves K, and in which they may be slid up or down to and into any of the grooves Z Z Z" l, to adjust the screens at any angle desired without removing them from the shoe H, in order to prevent the lighter grades of grain from being carried away by the blast of air from the fan G,which meets the grain and seed immediately upon its issuing from the hopper X.

To the shoe H a lateral shaking motion is imparted by means of a horizontalpivoted lever, M. This lever is provided with a series of perforations near its center, through one of which connection is made by a pivot-bolt, O, with the slotted bracket N, attached to one side of the frame A. One end of the lever M is attached to the side walls of shoe H by means of a short rod, a, and the other end worksin a diagonally orcam grooved collar, 1?, secured to the fan-shaft S back of the crank-pin d. Near the front end of and immediately under the fan-casing is suspended a frame, Q, which inclines downwardly toward the front end of the machine. This frame carries the grad ing-screens V V, of different mesh. The upper screen, V, extends as far forward as the spout W, while the lower screen, V,-extends only to the spout W but they extend rearwardly an equal distance and past the discharge end of screen L.

A series of spouts are arranged beneath the.

screens to receive the different grades and screenings, as follows: Spout WV receives the discharge from screen V, spout from screen V. Spout WV receives the cockle from screen V. Spout XV receives the screenings from screen L in shoe H, and spout XV receives all the light and damaged grains carried off by the blast from fan G. Each of these spouts is provided with suitable hooks on which bags may be hung to receive the discharge from all the screens. At the top of the casing or frame, and immediately above the shoe H, is arranged a feed-hopper, X, the bottom of which is formed by the slide Y, arranged in grooves or guides, so as to be adj ustable back and forth by means of the thumb nuts p and screwbolts Z, secured to the rear wall of the hopper, and passing through a lip on the rear edge of said slide, so as to regulate the feed of grain or seed to the shoe H. A cross-bar, R, is attached and secured by'bolts and thumb-nuts to frame Q, near its rear end,and its ends project through slightly-curved slot 1" in each side of the frame A, and are pivoted to the lower ends of the vertical levers t at each side of the frame. The front end of the frame Q is supported by hangers S, which are pivoted to'it and to the opposite inner surfaces of the frame A. The levers t are provided, near their centers, with a series of perforations, through which connection is made with the slotted brackets U by means of the bolts and thumbnuts 0. The upper ends of these levers thave each a slot in which the crank-pin d fits, to impart the combined vertical and longitudinal motion to the frame Q and screens V V.

The thorough separation and grading of grain depends very largely on the agitation and loosening of the ungraded mass, and this I accomplish by the peculiar motion given to the frame Q andthe screens V V attached thereto, through the levers t and curved slots on My machine can be very easily and quickly prepared to give either a quick or slow :motion to the screens, as required by the different kinds and conditions of grain and seed to be treated, by simply adjusting the pivot-bolts O and 0 in the slotted brackets N and U'and perforations in the levers M and t.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The pulley F being set in motion,the grain or seed is fed into the hopper X and falls through the opening in the bottom thereof, and is met by the blast of air from the fan 0, which is caused to rotate by the pulley E on its shaft and belt 0 from pulley F, and carried rearwardly with the chaff, and while the lighter chaff will be driven out through the rear end of the shoe the grain or seed and heavy chaff will fall upon its sieves,and be shaken up and again come under the action of the air-blast, and be gradually driven off. All the grain or seed which passes through the upper sieves falls upon the lower screen, L, which divides the screenings or faulty grains and deposits the same through spout \V while it discharges all the larger grains and particles on the rear end of screens V V. The first grade of grain or seed, being fuller than the second grade, will be shaken down to the front and pass off through the forward spout, W, while the second grade and Cockle will pass through the first screen and fall onto the lower screen, V, the cockle and other foreign particles passing through said lower screen and into the spout W while marketable grain is shaken down to spout W and deposited in a separate bag.

The spout W is designed to catch all the light and faulty grains that may be driven over by the blast.

Having thus described my invention,what.I

claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters.

Patent, is

1. In a grain and seed separator and grader, the combination of the frame A, having the curved slots 4, frame Q, the hangers S S, the screens V V, the cross-bar R, having projecting ends, the vertical levers t, provided with perforations, the perforated brackets U, bolts 0, and fanshaft S, having the crank-pins d, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A grain and'seed separator and grader comprising a suitable hopper, a laterally-vibrating shoe, H, shaft S, diagonally or cam grooved collar, P, horizontal lever M, provided with perforations near its center, perforated bracket N, bolt 0, rod a, screws L L, the longitudinally-shaking frame Q, crossbar R, vertical levers if, provided with perforations near their centers and slotted at their upper ends, crank-pins d, perforated brackets U, bolts 0, screens V V, spouts W W W W W and a blast-fan, 0, all as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM TATE. Witnesses:

EUGENE E. GRAY, O. S. PooL. 

